Song of the Earth: Understanding Geology and Why It Matters

Description

Did you know that the history of Earth can be revealed by examining everything on it? From the esoteric science of minerals to the interactions between humans and their environment, our planet provides answers to every question we could ask about its history and what lies ahead. As climate change impacts everything we do on our planet, now is the time to take a closer look at what messages Earth has for us: what does it mean when the wind blows or the ground shifts? In this book, geologist Elisabeth Ervin-Blankenheim reveals the history of our planet through a geologic lens and explains why everyone should care about it. Song of the Earth is a thrilling biography of our planet that equips readers with the scientific, historical, and philosophical symbiosis between humans and Earth. Ervin-Blankenheim explores geologic principles of deep time, plate tectonics, and change in life forms in plain English. The book is illustrated with striking maps, diagrams, and pictures, allowing her to dissect everything from how a roiling, molten planet cooled to how the first cyanobacteria began to oxygenate the atmosphere to how the atmosphere has changed over time. Ervin-Blankenheim journeys through the science with ease and provides narrative sections about pioneering geologists and their groundbreaking discoveries. In viewing the planet as the integrated ecosystem it is, Ervin-Blankenheim showcases how land, water, life, and the atmosphere maintain an elegant yet delicate balance--one that, based on the author's evidence of current trends in the context of past planetary cataclysm, appears to be under imminent threat. At times both gripping and lovingly poetic, Song of the Earth shows not only how Earth has influenced life, but also how life has distinctly shaped our planet cover Song of the Earth Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgments Introduction: Why Geology? 1. Geology Emerges as a Science: European Roots European Scientific Geological Developments Nicolaus Steno James Hutton Abraham Werner Etheldred Benett William “Strata” Smith William Buckland Charles Lyell Mary Anning Louis Agassiz in Europe Early French Geologists 2. Geology Emerges as a Science: On the Other Side of the Pond American Scientific Geological Developments Louis Agassiz in the United States James Dwight Dana Sir John William Dawson John Wesley Powell Clarence King Florence Bascom 3. Geologic Time: From an Early Geologic Time Scale The Age of the Earth: Geologic Time About the Time Scale of the Earth: Ordering of Events through Relative Age-​Dating Development of the Geologic Time Scale Abraham Werner and an Early Geologic Time Scale Expansion of the Time Scale of Geology Periods of the Paleozoic Era Periods of the Mesozoic Era Periods of the Cenozoic Era Geologic Eras Measuring Time: The Final Frontier 4. Geologic Time: Measuring Time and the Nature of Deep Time Quantifying Time: Numerical Dating Radioactivity and Isotopes: History and Use in Geology The Present Geologic Time Scale Mapping the Geologic Time Scale Deep Time: A New Orientation to Geologic Time 5. Plate Tectonics: History of the Revolution in Earth Sciences How the Crust of the Earth Moves: Overview of Plate Tectonics Setting the Stage for Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics Eduard Suess and His Tectonics Antarctic Exploration, the Terra Nova Expedition, and Plate Tectonics Alfred Wegener and Continental Drift Data for Continental Drift Mechanisms for Continental Drift: Early Ideas Post–​World War II Exploration of the Ocean Floor: A Unified Theory of Plate Tectonics 6. Plate Tectonics: Oceans, Continents, Plates, and How They Interact Plate Tectonics Theory Divergent Plate Boundaries Convergent Plate Boundaries Transform Plate Boundaries Hotspots and Diffuse Boundary Zones Diffuse Boundaries Unknown or Speculative Boundaries Consequences of Plate Tectonics Past and Present Tectonics Tying It All Together 7. Life on the Earth: Evolution, Extinctions, and Biodiversity Development and Change of Life on the Earth: Evolution and Natural Selection Charles Darwin, the Journey of HMS Beagle, and Natural Selection Fossils and Preservation of Ancient Life The Historical “Bone Wars” of Marsh and Cope: Filling Out the Dinosaur Fossil Record Genes, DNA, and Quantitative Biology Toward a Unified Synthetic Theory of Evolution Horse Fossils, Their Geologic History, and Change in Environmental Conditions Evolution in Action Extinction Events and Their Impact on Evolution Mass Extinctions Biodiversity throughout the Geologic Record Unifying Theories and the Future 8. The Biography of the Earth: The Precambrian Story Hadean Eon, 4,600–​4,000 Million Years Ago Archean Eon, 4,000–​2,500 Million Years Ago Proterozoic Eon, 2,500–​541 Million Years Ago Snowball Earths and Emergence of More Complex Life 9. The Biography of the Earth: Paleozoic Era Cambrian Period, 541–​485.4 Million Years Ago Ordovician Period, 485.4–​443.8 Million Years Ago Silurian Period, 443.8–​419.2 Million Years Ago Devonian Period, 419.2–​358.9 Million Years Ago Carboniferous Period, 358.9–​298.9 Million Years Ago Permian Period, 298.9–​251.9 Million Years Ago 10. The Biography of the Earth: Mesozoic Era Triassic Period, 251.9–​201.3 Million Years Ago Jurassic Period, 201.3–​145.0 Million Years Ago Cretaceous Period, 145.0–​66.0 Million Years Ago 11. Biography of the Earth: Cenozoic Era Paleogene Period, 66.0–​23.03 Million Years Ago Neogene Period, 23.03–​2.58 Million Years Ago Quaternary Period, 2.58 Million Years Ago to Present 12. The Earth’s Impact on Life and Life’s Impact on the Earth The Earth: Interconnected Systems Population Matters Geosphere–​Human Interaction Hydrosphere–​Human Interaction Biosphere–​Human Interaction Atmosphere and Climate–​Human Interaction Interfaces among All Spheres Soils and Their Significance Temperature, Weather, and Climate The Dynamic Carbon Cycle Song of the Earth and Implications Looking Backward to Look Forward Glossary Notes Bibliography Index